On My Mind: Blogging on Mockingbird

I've asked my students to blog on To Kill a Mockingbird, so I should lead by example, right? Your actions speak louder than your words? Plus I love this book, so why not write about it.

So first of all, it is really fun to be re-reading it. I'll admit -- and DO NOT TELL MY FORMER STUDENTS -- there were a few times that I taught the book and didn't reread it along with the students. Bad! Re-reading it is so rewarding, though. I'm making all sorts of new notes in my book, and coming up with interesting questions (at least I think they are interesting!) to toss out in discussions with students.

My dad is currently in Haiti with the LDS humanitarian medical team. It's fun to read about a stellar father (Atticus) at the same time that I'm thinking (and praying) so much about my own father. Atticus is different from my own dad -- my dad is softer, and not as formal (we called him Dad, not Mark, for starters!). But like Atticus he did a good job of helping me think through issues, see the other side (my mom was actually the best at teaching that), and use our brains.

The other character whom I love for her ideals is Miss Maudie. I like that she is not Miss Stephanie Crawford (the old gossip!), and that she can get over her house burning down because it means more room for her garden! I wish I were that un-materialistic! I like that she treats the children well, and honors their needs, too. She's one of my favorite spinsters in literature!

And I'm noticing more and more little things about Boo. He can carve the miniatures that they find in the knothole so precisely that the little boy miniature has "a shock of soapy hair [that] fell to his eyebrows" (60). Even Scout "had never noticed it before" (60). As a few students have noted, there aren't a ton of descriptive details about the kids' appearances in the book. But right there, I see more of what Jem looks like, because Boo carved the miniature just like him.

I'm eager to hear what the students think! I hope they end of up loving this book, too. (My book club in Palo Alto read it together, and there were 3 times as many people as usually come! Everyone wants to read this book!)